Mid Ulster Council launches public consultation on a Draft Planning Application Validation Checklist

Mid Ulster District Council has launched a public consultation on a Draft Planning Application Validation Checklist, designed to help residents and businesses achieve timely planning decisions through a smoother and more efficient planning process.

The draft checklist sets out the information required for planning applications to be considered valid and processed.

Chair of the Council’s Planning Committee, Councillor Sean McPeake, encouraging feedback on the draft checklist said: “This draft checklist is about helping our residents and businesses get planning applications right from the start. By setting out clear information requirements, we can support applicants, reduce delays and help deliver timely planning decisions that benefit Mid Ulster. We want to make the planning process as clear and efficient as possible for our residents and businesses. I would encourage anyone with an interest in planning to take part in this consultation and share their views.”

The checklist comprises two elements: basic information, which applies across all eleven council areas in Northern Ireland and is required for an application to be valid; and additional information, enabled under the Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024, which allows councils to specify further information for certain types of planning applications.

Where applications do not comply with the checklist, the Council will normally seek the required information informally. In some cases, a formal notice of non-compliance may be issued, with a right of appeal to the Planning Appeals Commission within 14 days.

The Council is inviting comments on the draft checklist from Monday, March 2 until Friday, March 27 at 12 noon. You can view the draft checklist on the Council website at Mid Ulster Council from Monday, March 2.

Responses can be submitted by email to planning@midulstercouncil.org, or by post/in person, marked ‘Response to Draft Planning Application Validation Checklist Consultation’, to: Planning, Mid Ulster District Council, Magherafelt Offices, Ballyronan Road, Magherafelt, BT45 6EN.

Following the consultation, the outcome and proposed final checklist will be reported to the Planning Committee before being published on the Council’s website.